The Rev. Al Sharpton plans Oscars protest in Hollywood

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Rev. Al Sharpton has announced plans to stage a rally on Sunday prior to the Oscars to protest a lack of diversity in Hollywood. The rally, announced Thursday, also is intended to support a push for a nationwide TV tune-out of the Academy Awards ceremony. Critics say the awards show, with its second consecutive year of all-white acting nominees, has come to embody a diversity crisis in the entertainment industry, Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith and Spike Lee previously announced their intention to not support the show. Sharpton's demonstration will be held just a few blocks from the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are staged. Other rallies are planned in New York, Virginia, Ohio, Georgia and Michigan.